Watchmen Chapter 18

The sound of the rain hitting the window intensified. The rain gradually got heavier, as if something was influencing it.

A dark cloud covered the sky, and a gale was starting. At this time in the evening, the sky had darkened.

In Gu s.h.i.+ Tong's office, the light was dim, but neither of them had any intention of turning on the light.

After a moment of silence, it was Jiu Jie who broke the silence.

"I know why you don't call Uncle Gu your 'dad'.  It's because you hate him, right? You blamed him for your mother's death, for watching her die, right"

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen anxiously bit her lip, staying silent. But her eyes were as sharp as a sword though.

Jiu Jie continued to speak, "This is your trauma that you've always kept in your heart. You want to forget it, but instead, it's been thrown to a corner of your memories, while you pray that time would make it disappear. Reality is not so kind though.

Gu s.h.i.+ Tong snorted coldly. "What do you know? The situation was completely different from what you saw. That little girl was definitely not me, nor is the man Old Gu."

"I know," Jiu Jie said, "What happened in reality may not be what happened in Dreamland just now. The brain has a processing mechanism, so the appearance of things in dreamland is disguised. No matter what though, your Father once watched your Mother die, isn't that right?"
Gu s.h.i.+ Chen's silence was telling.

"Also," Jiu Jie continued, "You also kept hating your Father because of that incident. Even though you wanted to forget it and get along with your Father, every time you two meet, you'll inevitably think of your deceased Mother. The pain in your heart has made you incapable of this revenge-filled Father-Daughter relations.h.i.+p. This problem has made you be in lots of pain…"

"Enough!" Gu s.h.i.+ Chen said firmly. "Stop talking! I don't want to listen!"

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen's pretty face was distorted in anger, her hair in disarray, and her face as white as paper.

Jiu Jie couldn't bear it, so he slowed his speech and said gently, "Actually, this case has a lot of holes. If I was an outsider who heard this, I would also feel that something was weird. Maybe there's motive, or Uncle Gu was unable to say it out loud due to some secret trouble?"

"Motive? Secret trouble? What kind of trouble would make a husband watch his own wife die?" Gu s.h.i.+ Chen questioned.
"I don't know, but this part is what I need to clarify." Jiu Jie said.

<>

"Clarify? How are you going to clarify it?"

"It'll be through dreamland of course." Jiu Jie said, "Dreamland is the door to your thoughts. Through it, you can find out things you haven't thought about before."

"Hey, please don't misunderstand me. Don't forget my ident.i.ty. Even if you have successfully entered my unconscious just now, do you think I would let the same situation happen twice?"

"Since it had already happened once, why won't it happen a second time?" Jiu Jie retorted.

"Because our talk today will end here. Please excuse yourself."

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen finished speaking, obviously trying to get rid of her guest.

Jiu Jie remained unmoving on the sofa though. He knowingly asked, "So, you're chasing me out then?"

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen had already walked to the door. She turned around and said, "You can take it that way. I already said our talk will end here. You can leave."

"If I just leave like this, aren't you afraid that Zhen Dou Bi would cause trouble for me?"

"I underestimated yo

u before. If Zhen Dou Bi really tries to cause trouble for you, it's still uncertain who would be causing trouble for whom."

"Then, what about our bet?"

"Just count it as a tie. No one has to lose, which is good" Gu s.h.i.+ Chen said.

Jiu Jie took his time standing up, it was obvious he was trying to delay leaving.

He slowly walked to the door, and said to Gu s.h.i.+ Chen, "You really don't want to continue investigating? Maybe you'll find out what you've never seen before."

"I refuse," Gu s.h.i.+ Chen said bluntly. "Even though you're stronger than the people Old Gu have brought before,  you can only amount to this. Our talk is over. There won't be another chance for such a long talk again in the future."
"You're really obstinate." Jiu Jie shook his head and said.
"That's enough. I still have an appointment with a patient at night. I'm not sending you."

After saying that, she went to open the door.

"The seven pm appointment, right? I advise you to cancel that, just like you did with the three pm appointment."

"Why?"

“Because what we're talking about isn't over." Jiu Jie said firmly.

“The stubborn one is you. I'll say this for the last time, our talk is over." Saying so, Gu s.h.i.+ Chen opened the door, and stepped to the side while waving him forward with a 'please' gesture.

Jiu Jie stood there, unmoving. He looked past the door and said to Gu s.h.i.+ Chen, "I feel like you need to come out the door with me and see."

“I've seen the lobby on the first floor countless times. There's nothing to see."
"Are you sure?"

Finished speaking, Jiu Jie moved his body, giving up his position at the door.

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen was very curious. She tilted her head to look outside and suffered a shock.

The original lobby on the first floor had vanished. There was only an awe inspiring white light outside. The light was s.h.i.+ning fiercely, but it didn't blind the eyes, which let people feel a sense of warmth.

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen turned around and realized that the rain had stopped. The room was pitch-black like ink, as if someone had pulled a thick layer of dark secrets over the room. She almost couldn't feel any bit of light. 

She quickly felt against the wall, using her memory to guide her to the light switch so she can turn on the light. The light switches all malfunctioned. No matter what she did, the lights would not turn on.　

A sense of dread was starting to rise within her in the pitch-blackness. Her heart felt like an invisible hand was slowly tightening around it.

At this time, a calm voice was heard. "Miss Gu, the room is too dark. It's better if you come over to my side."

It was Jiu Jie. He stood just outside the door. The overflowing white light was the only source of light in the dark room.

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen wanted to go over, but she didn't know why, her heart was resisting.

Jiu Jie looked around, but he could not see anything in the darkness. He held out a hand into the dark, while gently saying, "There's only darkness there. The door has light outside. Come over here and grab my hand, i'll bring you out of this place."

Everywhere around Gu s.h.i.+ Chen was darkness. Indescribable dread and despair stretched her mental state taut. Faced with only a feeble source of light and a man with his hand held out, she couldn't resist.

In the face of dread, the man who seemed friendly became her only way out. The resistance in her heart was gone. She involuntarily s.h.i.+fted her feet, and slowly got closer to the light.

That strand of light in the darkness was like a lighthouse in a boundless ocean, like it was directing lost s.h.i.+ps back on course.

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen leaned on the wall, carefully getting closer. Every step brought her a bit closer, and the light seemed to flourish a bit more. 

In the end, she managed to reach the door. She slowly held up her hand, and grasped Jiu Jie's tightly.

Jiu Jie stood at the door. Because of the bright light, he couldn't completely see what was happening in the darkness. At that time, he suddenly felt a soft texture in his outstretched hand. A soft hand lightly grasped his, just like at the time on the foggy road.

“You're back." Jiu Jie said.

From the darkness, Gu s.h.i.+ Chen did not reply, but Jiu Jie could feel that her hand was trembling slightly.

“Let's go. I'll bring you out."

Jiu Jie said this and dragged Gu s.h.i.+ Chen, wanting to go past the door.

“Wait," Gu s.h.i.+ Chen said. Her voice was clear and cold, just like the monsoon (cold rain?) season.

“What is it?" Jiu Jie asked.

“We're still in a dream, right?"

Jiu Jie nodded his head and said, "That's right, we're still in the dream. Do you still remember the last scene in your dream?"

“I remember. You pushed me into the pond." Gu s.h.i.+ Chen said.

“That's right. You fell into the pond. You thought you woke up, but you just went past a layer of dreamland."

“I don't want to continue. Let me wake up, please." Gu s.h.i.+ Chen quietly implored.

Jiu Jie was thrown for a loop. He almost couldn't believe his ears. From his impression, Gu s.h.i.+ Chen had always been a proud and spoiled girl who was aware of her femininity. Br.i.m.m.i.n.g with talent, and full of confidence, the image of a pitiful young lady was completely opposite to her. 

Today though, she had put down her pride and pleaded with him, making Jiu Jie feel a sense of surrealism.

Everyone had different faces for different situations. Very little people would be able to see past the mask to the person underneath.

Faced with the soft voice of a beauty, Jiu Jie felt moved, but he hardened his heart and shook his head, while saying, "No, I will let you wake up, but not now. At the most, we need to go past this door."

“Why?"

“Because this door is a boundary. One side is light, the other is darkness. One side rebirth, and one side annihilation. When we conclude this situation, do you wish to be left in a nightmare or a sweet dream? Would you want to wake up in darkness or be relieved in the light?"

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen was silent. She seemed like she made up her mind, and slowly moved her body until she stood shoulder to shoulder with Jiu Jie at the door. The light outside of the door shone on her pretty face, making Gu s.h.i.+ Chen's cool and elegant look rise a few points.

“Jiu Jie, you're a very interesting person. At times, you speak as if you are unsophisticated, but others times, like a poet."

Jiu Jie laughed bitterly. "I do know an amusing B poet. Ever since I met him, I cannot think of poets in any positive manner. That's enough, let's not speak anymore nonsense, let's go."

Gu s.h.i.+ Chen lightly nodded.

After that, the two of them held hands, and walked through the door into the whiteness.